Hard Knocks Ep. II Recap: The ShakeWeight Edition

Our man Kirk Cassels watched Hard Knocks last has a full run-down of the show. Enjoy.

The first Hard Knocks episode with the Jets is a tough act to follow. It had colorful language from Rex, the drama of the Revis scenario, the intrigue of new players coming to the team and the close eye on Sanchez beginning his second year. Last night's episode was not nearly as entertaining, unfortunately. But it did have a very unique moment in which punter Steve Weatherford ordered 100 or so Shake Weights for the team in order to get them "from the AFC Championship into the Super Bowl"

I can't tell if the clip is hilarious or disturbing.

Click through for other notes about the show and the share your comments. After all, I am only one person who watched the show and I know many of you have your favorite moments as well

The episode opened with shots of the deconstruction and eventual ruins of the old Giants stadium. There was an image of Bill Parcells being carried of the field in his Giants days, which was weird. But it was followed by a shot of (I think) either Kevin Mawae or Kyle Brady staking a Jets flag into the turf after their defeat of the Dolphins in 2002 to clinch the AFC East. That did not feel weird at all.

From there, it moved to practice where, while stretching, Damien Woody was doing his best impersonation of Allen Iverson's "we're talking about practice!" rant from years ago.

With no Revis drama to focus on, and no "they're going to get cut today" story for HBO, rookie running back Joe McKnight was spotlighted. While watching the episode, I see #25 lacking focus or being in another world. Santonio Holmes came to his side, insisting he keep asking questions during camp in order to learn. While coaches talk to McKnight, it's hard to tell if he's listening or not. Perhaps it's his personality. Or perhaps, according to Bart Scott, he's "mad cause he's taking a pay cut" after leaving USC.

Speaking of good old Bart, the coaches are clearly looking to him to be the leader, asking him to get in the face of his teammates and ask them to do better. A cute Bart moment was the little boy look in his eyes when the team went to a water park. Watching Bart now reminds me of Brian Cox back in the 90s, only I think Bart is better.

Another focus this week was on Kyle Wilson and Antonio Cromartie, in Revis' absence. Of course, they show Greene knocking Cromartie over in the Divisional playoffs last year. Hopefully, he won't be as afraid to hit this year as he was going down a water slide in Cortland this year. A subtly entertaining moment was when Cro was naming all of his kids, half of which are three years old, which means he was pretty busy back in 2006-2007.

The "diet" moments of the week were two cases of pretzel M&Ms emptying fast because, as one staffer said, "Rex liked them... and the players did too." To Rex's credit, he later got a small diet soda and a small popcorn with no butter during movie night when he went to see Dinner for Schmucks.

Sanchez continues to be the kid everyone loves. Whether he's ordering pizza in for delivery, telling Jenkins he knows karate, talking about how he likes orange anything (freezer pops, gum etc), or mocking the way #56 Lance Laury walks and calling him a "weirdo," he's always smiling— even when hitting the gym. I think I saw him wearing a Taco Bell hat in one scene as well.

Mark Brunell is serving as a great mentor to Sanchez with such quotes as, "It ain't the arrow, it's the Indian. You can't use the ball as an excuse." Brunell is also insistent that Sanchez will never meet his daughter, who is entering her freshman year of college sanchez likes orange anything, tells jenkins he knows karate My favorite moment of the episode's coverage of Monday night's preseason game against the Giants was the great exciement in Woody Johnson's eyes as Sanchez took the field. A great line by Mark after the interception in the game was, "We can't shoot ourselves. That's the only way wer'e goig to lose game." The learning curve is apparent.

Rex didn't drop many f-bombs this week, but the narrator did note that Rex loves the c word... coaching. What did you think c word meant? Hearing Rex teach the defensive line techniques to get by offensive lineman or teaching them how to avoid over pursuit in a lateral play shows how much this coach knows about the details.

Staying on the topic of coaching, there was a nice spotlight on Mike Westhoff. Noting the nine major surgeries to his leg due to cancer was inspiring as you see Westhoff walking with canes and braces or special shoes. "I coach the way I do because I'm happy to be here," Westhoff said, further permeating the love for football throughout the team. During the game against the Giants, you hear Westhoff say "we're gonna block one" when it came to the Giant punting, and they did.

Another fun moment during coverage of the preseason game was the defensive coordinators refusing to leave the booth during a fire emergency.

Jenkins is great to watch each week because he is having so much FUN. There's a cute shot of him riding the golf car around and a nice montage of Jinx and Mangold being, as the narrator put it, "playmates." When you watch these two play against each other, you can only imagine how much better it is making them as the season approaches. "I got a little anxiety out of my system," Jenkins said as he got more comfortable on the field, with a HUGE smile.

Vernon Gholston was also put under the spotlight, and Rex has his back, citing the voluntary paycut Gholston took to help the team. Rex is looking to unleash the animal in Gholston and even turned to Rob Turner, #75, to instigate a fight to turn up the fire in Gholston. It appears to have had an effect. When it comes to Gholston, as well as McKnight, Rex continually says he's waiting for both of them to "drop [their] nuts" and play ball. Let's hope they do.

My favorite Rex line of the week was, "You dont have to see John Conner play, you can hear him play."

The end of the show was a little scary. After noting the secondary's depth and talent problems during the game, Rex looked like he was going to cry at end of it. "I didnt like intensity," he said, shortly before the narrator noticed Revis' absence. Next week looks like it will be another fun one, as it highlights the players' night off and Braylon Edwards' beard. There will also be a focus on the position battle at offensive line between Matt Slauson and Vladimir Ducasse.

FNNY presented by Jeep: Common for NFL players to not remember games?

12:20AM

The FNNY panel touches on the report that Brandon Marshall told the Daily News he doesn't remember scoring three touchdowns in a 2014 game.

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GEICO SportsNite: Jets place Nick Mangold on season-ending IR

12:06AM

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GEICO SportsNite: Mangold to IR00:01:25

Willie Colon comments on Nick Mangold's career after the Jets placed him on injured reserve.

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Wilkerson says 'tighter coverage' would have led to more sacks

Dec 8 | 7:30PM

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New York Jets defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson (96) celebrates a sack with teammates during the first half of an NFL football game against the Tennessee Titans Sunday, Dec. 13, 2015, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Peter Morgan) (Peter Morgan/AP)

Jets defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson responded "maybe a little tighter coverage and we get those sacks" when asked why New York was held to one sack in their 41-10 loss to the Colts Monday.

Fitzpatrick to serve as backup QB behind Petty

Dec 6 | 4:55PM

QB Ryan Fitzpatrick will serve as New York's backup quarterback for the remainder of the season, while rookie QB Christian Hackenberg will not play unless starting QB Bryce Petty suffers an injury, head coach Todd Bowles told reporters on Tuesday.

Bowles named Petty the starting quarterback following Monday night's embarrassing 41-10 loss to the Colts, relegating Fitzpatrick to the backup role.

When asked if the rookie quarterback would see any playing time this season, Bowles was quick to say only an injury would lead to Hackenberg taking the field.

TJB Post Game Podcast: Bryce Petty and the Heartbreakers

Dec 6 | 3:59PM

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The Jets are free fallin, while Corey Griffin and Brian Bassett have their green hearts broken and are at a loss for answers. But they do find your voicemails…and talk about Bryce Petty, Todd Bowles, an uncertain future, and a nifty play by the pylon.

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Jets waive C.J. Spiller and Jeremy Ross

Dec 6 | 3:10PM

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New York Jets receiver Jeremy Ross (10) returns a kick-off against the Pittsburgh Steelers during the fourth quarter at Heinz Field. (Charles LeClaire)

New York also announced the signing of WR Darius Jennings to the practice squad, who will take the place of WR Mario Alford, who has been released.

Spiller signed with the Jets on Nov. 2 after playing two games for Seattle. Spiller appeared in four games with the Jets, returning five kickoffs for an average of 19.1 yards per return, along with recording three rushes and one reception on offense.

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BGA: Insight and analysis from Week 13

By Bent | Dec 6 | 12:15PM

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(Ed Mulholland)

The Jets were crushed by the Colts, 41-10, on Monday night at MetLife Stadium as they fell to 3-9 on the season. Bryce Petty replaced Ryan Fitzpatrick during the game and will be the starter for the remainder of the season. Here's insight and analysis regarding the Jets' awful Monday night performance...

Quarterbacks

Ryan Fitzpatrick's performance speaks for itself. He only completed one pass beyond the first down marker, had a completion percentage below 50 percent, and punctuated his performance with an interception on the kind of forced throw he's been unable to get away with all season.

Bowles names Petty starting quarterback for remainder of season

Dec 6 | 12:08AM

New York Jets head coach Todd Bowles named Bryce Petty the starting quarterback for the remainder of the season, barring injury, after he replaced Ryan Fitzpatrick midway through Monday's 41-10 loss to the Indianapolis Colts.

Bowles said he planned to name Petty the team's starting quarterback for the rest of the year regardless of what happened Monday, adding that Fitzpatrick's ineffectiveness -- 5-for-12, 81 yards, no touchdowns and one interception -- in the loss to the Colts did not factor into the decision.

Petty completed 11 of 25 passes for 135 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions as he replaced Fitzpatrick for the second half, entering a 31-3 game.

Dec 5 | 11:46PM

Andrew Luck was nearly perfect in his return from a concussion, throwing for four touchdowns, three to Dwayne Allen, in the Indianapolis Colts' 41-10 romp Monday night past the inept New York Jets.

Not that Luck had to work very hard against the hosts, who were booed by a much-less-than-filled MetLife Stadium almost from the outset.

Luck missed last week's loss to Pittsburgh, cleared the NFL's concussion protocol on the weekend, and came back in style with a prime-time performance. He lifted Indianapolis (6-6) into a tie for the lead in the AFC South with Tennessee and Houston.

A witness said an argument took place between McKnight and the shooter before the shooter opened fire multiple times.

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What did you think about the Jets' game?

Dec 5 | 11:15PM

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We want to hear from you! What did you think of today's Jets game?

Record a reaction or question about the game, which may be used during TheJetsBlog Post Game Podcast, call 1 (831) 769-6387 or use this to record a message (please remember to leave your name and city):

New York Jets head coach Todd Bowles benched starting quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick in favor of backup Bryce Petty for the second half of Monday's game against the Indianapolis Colts at MetLife Stadium.

Fitzpatrick completed 5 of 12 passes for 81 yards with an interception and a 30.2 passer rating as the Jets trailed 24-3 at halftime.

Petty is making his first game appearance since Week 10, a 9-6 loss to the Los Angeles Rams in which he went 19-for-32 with 163 yards, one touchdown and one interception.

Jets honor Joe McKnight with pregame moment of silence

Dec 6 | 7:16AM

New York Jets running back Joe McKnight walks back to the locker room following practice at SUNY Cortland. (Rich Barnes-US PRESSWIRE)

The New York Jets have held a moment of silence before their game against the Indianapolis Colts at MetLife Stadium to honor former running back Joe McKnight, killed last Thursday in Louisiana.

Authorities said McKnight, 28, was shot during a road rage incident that was possibly sparked by a driver cutting off another on a nearby bridge in Terrytown, across the Mississippi River from New Orleans. The shooter was identified by police as Ronald Gasser, 54, and he was released overnight, drawing criticism.

McKnight was rated the nation's No. 1 running back recruit when he came out of Louisiana in 2006 and signed with the University of Southern California. He was a fourth-round draft pick of the Jets in 2010 and played three seasons for New York. He spent a season with Kansas City, and most recently played for the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League.

Petty started against the Rams in Week 10 when Ryan Fitzpatrick was out with an injury, and completed 19 of 32 passes for 163 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. It was the first, and so far the only, start of his career.

While some have questioned why Todd Bowles has not given the young quarterback more opportunities to prove himself, many believe it is because Petty has simply not shown enough during practice to earn the starting job.

During the season, Bent's Game Analysis charts games for some of the New York Jets' upcoming opponents, enabling a breakdown of what to watch out for on game day…

This week's Monday Night Football will see the Jets hosting the 5-6 Indianapolis Colts. Despite having endured a disappointing year so far, the Colts were just one game out of first place in the AFC South entering this weekend. The Colts have lost three of their last four games, albeit to three potential playoff teams in Green Bay, Kansas City and Pittsburgh. The teams met early last year with the Jets defeating the Colts 20-7, again on Monday Night Football, in one of the best performances of the Todd Bowles and Mike Maccagnan era.

TheJetsBlog Podcast: Are the Jets Better Off Today?

Dec 4 | 11:54AM

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Brian Bassett welcomes Brian Costello of the New York Post to the podcast, and they take a deep dive into the question of whether or not the Jets are better off today than the day when Woody Johnson flipped the switch from the John Idzik/Rex Ryan regime, to the current Mike Maccagnan/Todd Bowles duo. Later, SNY NFL Insider Ralph Vacchiano joins the show to talk about his Thursday conversation with Darrelle Revis at Florham Park, and to share his thoughts on Revis' future with the Jets.

Jets future up in the air for Revis, who wants to play in 2017

Darrelle Revis has made it pretty clear that he intends to play in 2017, telling SNY "I still have a lot of football to play." He even thinks he can still play football at a high level.

But at what position? And for whom? Neither of those answers are clear just yet. And though it's certainly possible that the Jets will simply part ways with the greatest cornerback they've ever had, a team source insisted not to rule Revis out of the Jets' 2017 plans just yet.

TJB Roundtable: Looking on the bright side

Maybe it is just me, but it seems like the Faustian bargain made by Ryan Fitzpatrick and the Jets on the eve of training camp signaled the end. Since then the trajectory of this team has been steadily downward: horrifying play at QB, the season-ending injury to Eric Decker, the immolation of Darrelle Revis as "player who gives a damn" … it has been rough. Hell, even Muhammad Wilkerson's reputation looks to be streaking down the Alpine Slide at Action Park!

But since we're Jets fans, we are notorious gluttons for punishment. So rather than dwell on all the bad stuff … what causes for hope do you have from what you've seen this season, Bent?

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Gailey tries to evaluate Petty, Hackenberg despite lack of game time

Dec 2 | 8:06AM

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New York Jets quarterback Bryce Petty throws the ball during warmups before a game against the Cleveland Browns at FirstEnergy Stadium. (Scott Galvin/USA Today Sports Images)

New York Jets offensive coordinator Chan Gailey said young quarterbacks Bryce Petty and Christian Hackenberg need to get all the reps they can get to continue to develop.

Though the Jets have decided to turn back to Ryan Fitzpatrick at quarterback for the foreseeable future, Gailey said Petty "needs all of the work he can get," according to NJ.com's Connor Hughes.

"It helps to play in games. ... The probability in games, you've got a lot better idea of what's going to happen," Gailey said. "In practice, you only have about a 75 percent probability of how they're going to be, how they're to play, and how they're going to progress."

Petty has started just one game -- a 9-6 loss to the Los Angeles Rams in Week 10 -- this season before head coach Todd Bowles opted to make Fitzpatrick, who led New York to 10 wins last season, the starter again.

Revis weighs in on retirement, possible move to safety, and more

Ralph Vacchiano reports from the Jets facility on the Darrelle Revis rumors of him possibly retiring after the 2016 season.

Darrelle Revis, the embattled Jets cornerback, insists that he has given no thought to retirement despite his age and his struggles this season, and that his love for the game of football is as strong as ever. In fact, in an interview with SNY.tv on Thursday, he said any questions about how much he still wants to play are "really bizarre."

That was the 31-year-old Revis' response to the latest round of criticism in what has become a miserable season for the future Hall of Famer. He has struggled on the field in a season he admits is "definitely not" up to his personal standards, and the shots he's taken in the media have been relentless at times.

The latest came in a report in the New York Daily News on Wednesday that quoted a "confidant" of the cornerback saying "If he had his way he'd be done right now. He doesn't want to play anymore."

WR Brandon Marshall wants to finish his career with the Jets, the wide receiver told reporters on Monday.

"Obviously (I have) no plans on retiring, no plans on switching teams," Marshall said. "Would love to stay here and retire as a Jet."

The Jets acquired Marshall and a seventh round draft pick from the Bears for a fifth round pick prior to the 2015 NFL Draft. In his first season with New York, Marshall caught 109 passes for 1,502 yards and 14 touchdowns.

"You never know in this business," Marshall admitted about the chances he will be back in New York next season.

TJB Post Game Podcast: Put Down By The Pats

Nov 28 | 5:30PM

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Corey Griffin and Brian Bassett deal with another inevitable loss to the Patriots, and the inevitable calls for the heads of Todd Bowles, Darrelle Revis, and Muhammad Wilkerson. They sift through another week of your voice mails, as the Jets sort through what's left of their season.